How To Grow Long, Luscious Hair
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I don't claim to be an expert on hair, but since my own hair measures about 4 to 4 1/2 feet in length, I do know a few things about growing hair from personal experience.
I hope that you aren't expecting some miracle solution that will help you grow ten inches of hair in a month. Unfortunately, growing hair takes time and lots of patience. If you hear someone claim that they can do it otherwise, I'd be very cautious before taking their advice. However, there are several things that you can do to obtain healthy hair and speed up the growing process - if you're willing to pay the price.
You may have noticed that women from the same family often have the same hair growth patterns. If you should see a woman that grows hair well, the chances are that the other women in her family grow hair well too. The same is true for women who cannot grow hair well. This is because heredity many times plays a big role in how our hair grows. In fact, my sister has extremely long hair and has written an article with pictures that describes her long hair journey. You can check it out here.
You may be saying, "My family members just aren't hair growers, so I'm stuck, right?" Not necessarily. Many times family traits are inherited because nutritional habits are also passed down. Nutritional deficiencies can be inherited just the same as hair color. The good news is the cycle can be broken, but it takes patience. With proper nutrition, deficiencies can almost always be reversed, but sometimes it takes several months or even years to completely reverse.
If you have very curly hair, you may have a hard time growing hair. Curly hair rarely grows long, so this doesn't mean that you have a deficiency. Curly hair is beautiful in its own way, whether it's long or short.
There are several health situations that can keep your hair from looking its best. Thyroid problems, gastrointestinal issues, and even hormone imbalances. If you don't notice at least some improvement in your hair's quality after several months, you may consider an underlying health problem.
Thankfully, modern science has made it possible to get proper nutrition very easily without having to eat several pounds of the foods that contain the nutrients we need. This is through nutritional supplements. Even when taking nutritional supplements, make sure that you're getting ones of a good quality, or they just won't benefit. Make sure the supplement manufacturer has a reputation for good quality.
Even if you don't have a deficiency, proper nutrition and supplements can be used to boost you hair's growth rate. If you're wanting to add foods to your diet that will help hair growth here are a few you may want to try:
Barley: This nutritional grain is good for a number of things, but it's high content of niacin, a B vitamin, is essential for healthy hair.
High protein foods: Without enough protein, hair is forced into the resting phase, and is shed prematurely. Try adding more lean meats, beans or lentils to your diet. Protein is composed of the amino acids necessary to grow new cells - including hair. (Have you ever noticed how beautiful a Hispanic woman's hair is? It's because of the high protein from the beans in their diet).
Avocados, nuts and seeds: These contain high vitamin E, necessary for healthy hair.
Raw oats and bean sprouts: These contain silica, a very important mineral that is a must for growing healthy hair.
Sufficient fat: Many people automatically turn their noses up when fat is mentioned, but certain amounts of fats are necessary for health in general and for healthy hair. The key is finding the right kinds of fats. EFAs (essential fatty acids) found in foods such as fish, and pumpkin, are extremely important for healthy hair. Also, find a good balance from other plant and animal sources.
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Here's a list of the supplements that will help you grow great hair:
VITAMINS: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Biotin, Inositol, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12.
MINERALS: Calcium, Potassium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Iodine, Selenium, Copper, Silica, Zinc, Sulfur, Chromium
HERBS: Sage, Chamomile, Catnip, Burdock Root, Horsetail
Get great vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements at local health food and/or drug stores, mail order catalogs or over the internet such as on eBay.
Hair Care Products & More
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Here's Some Hair Tips That I Use:
- Never brush hair when wet. This stretches the hair and makes it brittle.
- Be patient when combing out snarls, use your fingers to break loose tough ones.
- Shampoo the scalp well and the ends lightly. The scalp gets more oil, and the ends dry easily.
- Shampoo less often. 3 or 4 times a week should be sufficient. This will keep from stripping your hair's natural oils.
- Shampoo gently. Spread shampoo gently down the length of hair; don't massage and tangle.
- Don't over-brush. Brushing too often causes breakage. Try using a high quality boar bristle brush; it'll be worth paying a little more for a good one.
- Pin up or braid. Whenever you sleep or do housework, pin up or braid your hair to reduce breakage.
- Use LOTS of conditioner, especially on the ends. Rinse thoroughly with cool water. For extra benefit, let set a minute of two before rinsing.
- Deep condition occasionally by putting a thick layer of conditioner on hair then covering with a thermal shower cap. Blast with a hair dryer a few times, then let set. Rinse with cool water.
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Comments
Well, I too have very straight hair which is pretty thick near my scalp. But as you can imagine, after it goes down 4 feet it tends to thin some, but thankfully, it still is thick enough that you can't really tell it. As for the shampoo, you'll probably laugh, but I use Suave 2 in 1 Smoothers for KIDS! (It has to be Smoothers). It cleans my hair effectively without drying it out. The conditioner that I just love and that I get great results from is Dove. It has weightless moisturizers and it leaves my hair feeling like silk, and don't weigh it down. I buy the economy size and absolutely cake it on. It rinses real clean no matter how much you put on. Also, if your hair already tends to grow fast, I'd imagine that you'd really get great and fast results from HSN-W (Hair, Skin, and Nails formula) from Nature's Sunshine. (You'll have to type in HSN-W into the Nature's Sunshine search box because my link didn't work right). It's the link above that says, " Here's probably the closest thing you'll find to a miracle in a bottle." This link is for convenience only, I will not make anything for selling it.
Thanks again
Hi AWESOME HUB Page!!! Thanks! There is a lot of great new information here.Thanks again -- Joe --Nutrition Information -- http://www.accorres.net/
This is a great hub! I learned alot and plan to try some of the supplements for my mane. Thanks.
Great! Glad you liked it, Rhym! Thanks for visiting.
Hi, blessedmommy. I've been wanting to make my hair soft, shiny, and straight again. :-) Would you recommend do-it-yourself-at-home hair spa treatments? If so, how do I choose which product is best for my type of hair?
Hi Susan! Obviously, I would need to know more about your hair type to be precise, but I will give you a few pointers. If your hair craves mouisture, use hot oil treatments once or twice a week and deep condition at least once a week on top of your regular conditioning. (See directions above on deep conditioning). If your hair just seems dull and lifeless you may need to really take your supplements religiously. Also, this may sound gross, but it's very effective and healthy regardles of your hair type and after just a few applications you may start to notice a huge difference... a mayonnaise and egg treatment is very beneficial. Take freshly washed hair and apply mayonnaise mixed with an egg. Use about twice as much mayonnaise as you would on your normal conditioning. Cover with a disposable shower cap and let set for about an hour. After setting, rinse thoroughly and completely. Now wash a couple of times with a mild two-in-one shampoo/conditioner. Let dry naturally and don't brush until almost completely dry.
Duh! *slapping my forehead* I'd completely forgotten about that mayonnaise and egg treatment! Someone told me about that a loooong time ago! :p Thanks! :-)
By the way, do the mayonnaise and eggs have to be room temperature? 'Cause I keep them in the fridge. :-o
They don't have to be room temperature, Susan, but penetration is usually improved by warmer temperatures. Just spoon out what you will be using and let it set out on the cabinet for awhile. Hope it helps!!!
Thanks, blessedmommy. I'll give it a try. :-)
GREAT. Thanks!
hii im 16 years old and i can seem to groww my hair out long. i dontt blowdryy it or iron it everydayy so i dntt what else to do. i just startedd takingg some vitaminss and i hope that works a little but is there anyy otherr advicee you could offerr ?
pleaseeeee =)
Jez, My best advice is to follow what I've written above and have lots and lots and LOTS of patience ;) You'll have long hair before you know it!
lol its so hard thoughh lol ill tryy thankss alottt =]
Interesting tip. Do you have any new updates coming?
Taking pills is a great way to grow you hair I have been doing that for a while now and my hair is getting so long.
a oil that speeds up hair up to 1 to 2 inches per week or two is called wild growth hair oil you can find this at sallys beauty shop or order it online.at
www.wildgrowth.com
Great HUB!
GREAT ADVICE!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Danielle!
D.T.F. This was the first I've heard of that oil. Have you tried it personally? If so, I'd appreciate a review. Thanks for stopping by my hub!
Thank you, Nashomega, I appreciate it!
My hair only grows to a certain length do I take all of those vitamins at the same time to make my hair grow? Iwant log hair so bad that I was wondering can they give me some type of shot in my head to make it grow.It's got to be someting in this world that can do that I just need to know what.
Kina: LOL I don't know about a shot in the head but there are some very practical thngs that you can do that may bring you success. Try a nightly scalp massage for about 10 minutes. Follow the tips above and check out my other article for hair growing tips. http://hubpages.com/hub/Tips--Tricks-For-Growing-L
Remember that growing long hair takes patience and persistence.
Happy hair growing!
Okay i have very thick frizzy medium lenght hair and i won't to grow it out A.S.A.P. I am very impatient so i need a lot of tips so i can not just chop it off again!!
Please! and thank ya
Schmid's: Thanks for stopping by! Check out the other article I wrote, "Tips and Tricks for Growing Long, Strong and Healthy Hair" for additional tips. You can follow the link to get there! http://hubpages.com/hub/Tips--Tricks-For-Growing-L
hi im lookin 4 a bit of advice im 16 an im 5ft1 iv got hair down to my knees its very shinny an soft but very very thin iv constantly got it in a bun coz it looks horibel down i cant put it up or curl it coz its to long an i cant have it down or in a poneystail coz its to thin iv been beggin my mum to let me have it cut an now shes said yes im not shure what to do with it i need it cut to about the middel of my bk have any body got any idears of how i can make it look good its a big change an im afraid to cut it now haha plzz help
Mary: I hope that you decide against cutting your hair. There are supplements that you can take to thicken it up. (See above). It definitely won't happen overnight, but it can be done. Meanwhile wear it up in pretty twists to keep it from breaking. Be very careful when brushing and never brush it while it's wet. These things keep your hair thin. Braid it into braids while you sleep. I know that you said your hair is too long to wear up but my hair is probably as long as yours and I wear it up almost all the time in the summer. My sister has hair that is about five feet long and she wears hers up often as well. (And hers is extremely thick). Please check out her article of pretty ways to wear your hair up by clicking here. http://hubpages.com/_19751977cnj/hub/How-To-Make-A
i love long hair and have been trying to grow it for ages. i just want to get it like 4cm longer is there anything else that helps if you just want it a little longer? some that works for all you guys with long hair. i can't believe that you got it past your hips. WOW how did you do that? how long did it take you? anyway plz help me i would like it to grow 4cm in the next 3-4 months. is that long enough?
I had long hair but then i cut it short and i NEED it to grow!! I'm 13 and i have thyroid so my hair sometimes fall and i have thin hair!! So can you please give me some tips on how to grow healthy and thicker hair!! THANK YOU =]
ericka =]
Erika: First, the herb kelp will feed your thyroid and provide many necessary minerals. You can also go to a health food store and buy supplement combinations for your thyroid. Your hair may not grow properly if your thyroid isn't functioning right and if you are not getting good nutrition. An herb called horsetail will be great for growing hair and nails. Also, buy some evelopes of unflavored gelatin and mix it with water or buy it in capsules if you don't want to drink it. (MAKE SURE to check with your parents and doctor before taking any supplements to make sure it's ok). Meanwhile, just take extra care to not overbrush and style as this breaks your hair and make sure it is well conditioned.
hi am 14 and some boy at school cut half of my hair! it was soooo long but now its just bellow my ears! i always cry about and i want to know how long can i grow it 2 weeks or a mounth (if you can) thanks so much
Talia: It takes times and patience to grow hair. I know that's not what you wanted to hear, but if you just take real good care of it and follow the advice above, your hair will be back before you know it.
Oh...and stay away from that boy at school ;) LOL
blessedmommy does your hair grow as fast as your nails? i heard this somewhere but i don't think it's true because i think my hair grows kind of fast, but it's winter so my nails aren't growing fast. does this mean my hair isn't growing fast either?
Caitibug: This is evidently a myth because I have never been able to grow long fingernails but I can grow long hair. It is true, however, that many of the supplements that you take to grow hair also helps you grow fingernails.
how can i get hair that is thick on the head, but thins out a tad bit at the ends... something like selena gomez's hair?? is there a special way to wash your hair and part it to make it like that?? if there is could you tell me?
Caitibug: Not sure what you mean....When hair is uncut and pretty long it naturally gets thinner as it goes down. In the case of Selena Gomez, I think she has her hair professionally styled and cut to lay the way it does.
Caitibug: I know what you mean about Selena Gomez's hair. If you want your hair to be styled like hers, keep reading. Next time you go to your hair-cut place, ask if the stylist can give you lots of layers. That's all. But keep in mind, you might need to get your hair cut a bit more often than once every 5 months after you get the layers, so your hair won't look ragged. Your hair will look nice whether the length is long like Selena's or short like mine. You won't have to blow dry it every morning to make it look suitable for public, even thought the styling makes it BEAUTIFUL! It is a really cute style, though (my hair has it too). I hope I could help. :)
I just wanted to thank you for this wonderful page, blessedmommy!!I have been using your tips, and my hair is actually growing much faster than its normal pace! You have to be patient, but it works! I am so happy, my hair is beautiful and longer. My friend also uses your tips on hair, and DANG her hair almost trails to the ground! (But I guess, considering she's only four feet, that's not too amazing LOL) Once again, thank you!!! :)
Tori9349: Thanks so much for the feedback! So glad that the tips have been helpful for you and your friend. Keep it up!
Lots of great tips on growing hair long! Long hair is a lot to take care of, but well worth it!
Great hub! My hair isn't nearly as long as yours (waist length) but washing it 3-4 times a week sounds too much to me. I wash mine perhaps 3 times a fortnight, and that's fine.
LondonGirl: When you don't use styling products, such as hairspray, you can go a lot longer without washing your hair. Also, when you wear your hair up you can go a lot longer. But if you wear it down all the time and use styling products it is good to wash it 3-4 times a week (especially to condition it). I wear my hair up pretty often so I don't have to wash it as much as that either.
I never use hairspray, mousse, etc. Nor do I use a hair dryer. I reckon hair looks best when it is healthy and naturally shiny, and using those types of things dulls the hair.
Good for you, LondonGirl! I never use hair dryers either. I use hairspray occasionally when I wear my hair up so that my baby hair don't go everywhere but that's it. My hair is also very naturally shiny.
Thanks for sharing your tips!
hello, i was just wondering if you know how long would hair grow in 6 months? what kind of a style would it be ? _thank you
Most people's hair grows about 1/2 inch a month.
muahahaha!!!!! i have the best hair
blessedmommy: what are some simple things that will spead up my hair growth?? i want hair that is 6 inches below my shoulders, and my hair needs to grow 4 more inches to get to my desired length. im not asking for some sort of vitamin, or good diet recomendations because that's all i ever hear. i just want to know if brushing, combing my hair alot will help. will a certain shampoo speed it up. will getting my hair trimmed help. and if getting it trimmed helps, won't it soung silly to my hair stylist that i want 1/4 of an inch cut off?? cuz i mean getting that much cut off leaves me better off never getting it cut.
Caitibug: You may want to check out my other article that gives tips for growing long hair. Please look directly above all the comments to find the link to it.
Thank you so much for giving out that information.I am 9 years old but that information really worked on me.I looked up hair groth on other web pages and its good to wash your hair with cold or warm water.you cant use hot water because it stresses the hair and cause loss of hair.I know you already said it but i just wanted to make sure im right.And thanks agian for telling that imformation i didnt know about growing.
You are right, Maddy! Hair should be washed in lukewarm water and rinsed in cool. I am so glad that you stopped by to visit and I hope this article helps you with taking good care of your hair!
I want to grow my hair out...it is taking its time and is now a couple inches below my shoulders. It seems to grow and then just stop at a certain place adn then i have to end up getting a trim because the ends split...it never gets any longer that way :(...
I agree with the Hair skin and nail vitamins. My friend started using them and she came home with shoulder lenth hair from florida. I saw her a month later and her hair was a good four inches below her shoulder. I have known her for years and i know her hair does not grow fast so i was like wow! I am going to have to try those
This is a truly great hub. All women should take time to grow and care for their hair as it truly is our glory. I look forward to reading more hubs from you blessedmommy!
i followed the instruction and i have long hair.first idid believe much but i came to know that it was true.now i am happy with my hair
i have a short hair..may i know what are the vitamins in capsules which is available in the philippiines and has a cheap price..tnx..godbless
hey blessedmommy, i just wanted to know. you say you should wash your hair abround 3 or 4 times a week, but i'm 16 and my hair gets greasy and nasty alot. my hair is about 2cm pst my shoulders and i have to wash it EVERY night of it looks like iv'e dipped my head in the chip pan, i know its ''stripping my hair of natural oils'' and all and i want ot know will this make a huge difference to growing my hair?
MishaLeight: If you have very oily hair or you use a lot of styling products, it may be necessary to wash your hair more often - maybe even every night. The best thing to do would be to limit the styling products and to wear your hair twisted up once in awhile, but if you're not ready to give up your style, then just be sure to wash with a mild shampoo and condition every time you wash. You may also want to do deep conditioning once or twice a month.
I used to have oily hair when I was younger and I found that using regular dishwashing soap followed by a good condition would get rid of lots of excess buildup and make my hair very soft and healthy. Just make sure that you don't do this more than once a month or so.
I love the information you have given for growing hair. It is good info. I have long hair, I cu off 16 inches in the last year due to it being so thin on the ends. So I am working on getting it thicker, I still have tailbone length hair. I use a mix of oils that I make up based loosely on the Scottish experiment on using oils to increase growth. It does help, I feel more relaxed afterwards too. I will be back for more great info.
It's so good to see good nutrition being promoted for having healthy hair. Hair and nails can tell us a lot about our body's general health. Getting sufficient fruit and vegetables, the good oils and whole grains is usually not a priority for teenagers. If you can reach them through vanity, great!
One warning about kelp. Most are just dry seaweed. If you take sufficient amounts to be effective as an nutrient, you will be getting too much iodine and can harm the thyroid gland, actually stop it from functioning. Recently I researched kelp products and found only one, "Doctor's Best FibroBoost", which is tested for iodine content. It contains Seanol, Ecklonia cava extract, and only 13.3 micrograms per 400 mg capsule. Taking the recommended dosage of 3 capsules will still give you well below the RDA for iodine, even if you are taking a multivitamin. I don't have anything to do with this company. It was so difficult to find a product without too much iodine, I just want to let you know.
One more recommendation for reducing hair damage. Don't wear tight ponytails or other styles that puts constant pulling on the hair. This causes so much stress that the hair falls out before it usually would.
this infomation is very helpfu may i suggest that you also improve your fitness with more exercise to build sweat, sweating helps the hair grow! also boar bristle brush your hair research it on google and find out why this helps!
byeeee
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Kishla! Hello friend! Thanks for the encouragement and for stopping by to say hello. We don't get to talk much in person anymore so its refreshing to see you pop up in the comments. Glad you stopped by. Let me know if you start writing hubs!
MsSully says:
2 years ago
Thank you for the tips. My sister actually has gorgeous flowing long blond hair and just 2 years ago I did as well, but on a hot summer day I decided to chop it off into a bob. Which, I loved, but now miss my long blond hair.
I definitely know there are no miracles supplements. Thank you for your tips, I think I'll find them most helpful and will definitely be trying them. I've recently gotten on a major health kick, so I'll use some of the food tips within my diet and I think, other than that, your biggest tip is to take good care of the hair you have, which I will most definitely attempt to do.
Thank you again for the advice. I'm in this for the long haul. My hair does tend to grow a little faster than others. I chopped my hair off at the beginning of August and it was at my chin, now the front is only a half and inch from my shoulder and the back that was stacked is about 2 inches, so I think if I focus my energy into taking care of the hair I have, then I can keep myself from getting impatient and chopping it back off.
I do have one other question. I'm not sure of your hair type, but my hair is naturally very straight and while I have a very thick head of hair, my strands are actually very fine. Do you recommend any specific shampoo that can help keep it well mosturized and healthy withou weighing it down?